I have always doen my long runs on empty and there is an article in the July issue of Runner's World. If I remember correctly it says it trains the muscle to burn more fat and helps boost the capcity to store carbs

Went to the local track to meet my wife and father-in-law this afternoon. We walked a mile together, then they walked and I ran 3 miles in 23:20. And my daughter is in her third week of C25k training. This is getting fun.

Snerb, My family and I aren't all running in the same race yet, but I like this family thing. Go kick that 5k's butt, and have fun running with your son and his girlfriend. Also, as for my first HM this spring, I cramped up on the last 1/2 mile or so and had to walk a little to try to shake it off. My knees aren't good (21 years firefighting) but they made it. What WAS a little hard to take, and I didn't train/research very well for this, was the depleted energy. My son looked at me after the race and said I looked feeble. I didn't use any shots or beans or bars or Gatorade or anything during the race. I had an Energy bar and some water before and a couple cups of water during the race. That was it. After the race I ate a bagel and an apple before heading home. I felt kind of woozy a few times during the day. I hydrated well, but wasn't sure about eating -- how much, how much at a time, what kinds of foods, etc. I've read up a little more on this and I would suggest you do, too, and try to find out what will work best for you.

Lenz.... That is the stretching I was told to do before running - dynamic - also leg swings. I was told to do the static stretching (touch your toes and hold, cross legs and touch the toes, etc.) after the run.

az14.... A local bicycle group had a deer run in between the group a couple years ago and took out one of the guys pretty seriously. He was hurt badly but recovered. And that was on a bike!!! Prayers are going out to your friend.

Dtothe2nd.... I agree with Lenz. My training has been to run easy on the day before a short race - 5k. Run easy two days before a longer race - 10k and HM. Maybe even run easy three days before a HM, and rest for two days, depending on how hard your training has been. Here's a different idea from a race blogger here in Maine, discussing running/warming up before your race:

"Another strategy, though, is to not wait until right before the race to do your warm up. Instead, you should go out for a mile or three when you first wake up and before you head to the race to begin with.

How much you run first thing in the morning depends upon your level of fitness and the race you are preparing for. If you are racing in the evening, then this advice can still apply, but it will not be exactly the same thing unless you run just a few hours before the race.

Running first thing in the morning will wake your muscles up and prime them. Your blood will be flowing a little easier and a little earlier, and you will feel peppier after you get to the race. The car ride and standing in line to register will not bother you quite as much. Your digestion will get moving a little earlier as well, especially if you do the run before breakfast.

I used to wake up early to get a short run in before a race on a regular basis in college before cross country meets, especially if we stayed in a hotel the night before the race. This practice was also encouraged by the coach of my first team that I joined after college. I always raced well and enjoyed the experience when I did it, but I will admit that for the past few years getting up that extra half hour to an hour early just never seemed to happen. Which is actually quite funny coming from somebody who has no trouble getting up at 4:30 am when he has to.

If you do decide to give a first thing in the morning run a try before your race, then be sure that you still do your normal warm up before the race itself. This is not a replacement for your normal warm up, it is a supplement to it that helps get you ready for the run earlier in the day."

I've taken to running in the morning before breakfast without any ill effects. It actually sets my day up very nicely.

Stayed out too late last night and didn't get up to run/walk this morning. So I hit the treadmill on my break and did 3.3 miles in 45 minutes walking. (of course I ended up on a broken treadmill, the incline did not work. boo)

I want to do another walk tomorrow. And then start running again on Monday.

Went to the local college clean out garage sale today. Stood in line for 1 1/2 hours for the doors to open, so I could see what they had for bikes. Doors opened, I went in, no bikes. Agghhhhhhhhh.

Oh well, it was a beautiful morning, and I got in an 8.14 mile run in 1:08:20.

There are many articles in Active.com that really are helpful. I've saved many in a folder for reference. Regarding the burning of fat/muscle, there was a good nutrition piece this winter having to do with carb loading:

Glycogen is the main source of energy for long endurance runs. Carbohydrates are stored as glycogen in the liver and in the muscles. Your body can store about 2000 calories worth of glycogen. That's enough calories to provide energy for about 18 miles of running. Once this supply is depleted, the body starts to burn fat. Sounds like a good back-up plan, but the problem is that the body takes longer to metabolize fat for energy.

Ever hear of “hitting the wall”? That’s when a runner's body shuts down mentally and physically. The cause is often from depleted carb stores. There’s just nothing left in the tank; hence the importance of fully stocked glycogen stores before the race. It’s also important to keep these stores refueled during the race by drinking sports drink and/or ingesting other quick carbs such as energy gels, chews, or beans about every 30 to 45 minutes during the race.

Back to carb-loading…past thinking had runners ingesting lots of carbs the entire last week of the taper. I’ve found that the last three days prior to the race is plenty of time to make sure you’re fueled up for the big day.

During this three day-period before race day, your carbohydrate intake should increase to 70 to 80 percent of your total daily caloric intake. That doesn’t mean you’re taking in more calories, it just means that of the calories you’re taking in, 70 to 80 percent need to be comprised of carbs.

Not all carbs are alike, Knowing the differences and eating the right kinds at the right time during the carb-loading phase can make a huge difference. Complex carbs are comprised of unrefined whole grain foods such as whole grain breads, legumes, brown rice, and whole grain pasta. Simple carbs are foods made of refined and/or processed grains such as white bread, regular pasta, white rice, packaged cookies, cakes, and doughnuts. Fruits are technically simple carbs too, but they’re very nutrient dense and I would never put them in the same category as a doughnut. Keep in mind that eating a banana will provide quick energy because your body will process it very quickly, while a low-fat bran muffin will sustain your energy needs a lot longer.

Now that you know the different types of carbs, you need to know when to eat them.

Day 1: The first day of the carb-load should consist mainly of complex carbs (i.e., whole grain breads and whole wheat or whole grain pasta). By loading up on complex carbs the first day, you have time for them to be processed and voided well before race day.

Day 2: Taper off the complex carbs and switch over to simple carbs. Be careful though. Don't load up on tons of fruit and the like, if you're not used to eating lots of fruit. Also avoid loading up on simple carbs that contain a lot of saturated fat (cookies, doughnuts, pastries). The extra fat will slow down digestion and make you feel sluggish.

Day 3: Continue with the simple carbs. Eat your last major meal 12 to 15 hours prior to the race. This meal should be comprised of easily digestible foods that will pass through your system before the race. This is the time many runners turn to a big plate of pasta. Avoid heavy cream sauces and stick with basic marinara sauce.

FYI: Each gram of carbs can store 3 grams of water. So, to make sure you get complete carb storage, drink four to eight glasses of water each day. You may gain a pound or two during this carb-loading phase, but most of this extra weight is water and can actually help you stay well-hydrated during the race. And don’t worry, you'll sweat out those extra “water pounds” during the race.

Tip: Practice make perfect. Eating before a race can be a tricky thing. Test different foods for your carb-loading phase well before race day. Pick one of your longest training runs and pretend it's "race day." Try a mini-carb-loading phase before this run. This will give you the opportunity to see how long different foods take to pass and which ones to avoid because they "hang around" too long.

Note: Carb-loading can also affect your blood sugar levels. Diabetics and others with specific health problems should consult with their doctors and/or a registered dietitian about the best foods to eat during their carb-loading phase, especially if it's your first experience with carb-loading.

All of my morning runs are fasted, because I don't have enough time to wait for food to settle before I run, since I run before work. I haven't had any problems doing 5 miles fasted. For both of my races I've gotten up early and eaten a bagel with pb two hours before the race.

Ran my first 8k today, and only my second race ever (last week's 5k being my first). It was great, and for a great cause, the local children's hospital. I pulled a 41:34, 8:22min/mi. I'm pretty happy, finished 214th out of 1243.. I think I could have done better if I had started farther up in the pack. I took almost two miles for the crowd to thin out enough that I wasn't dodging people. I'm gonna stick to five miles 4-5 days a week for a few weeks, maybe add a long run on Saturdays, and then look at racing another 5k in July.

Did a long run today of 4 miles. I felt incredible!! Ran it in 42:15, which is over 4:00 better than my last 4 mile run! I didn't feel like I was trying to push it either. All this training is def paying off!! Next week is going to be a true test....2 miles Tues, 3 miles Weds, 2 miles Fri and long run of 7 miles Sat. Sheesh! I haven't run anywhere near that much since I started!!

CKLindsay - Good to hear from you, and hope your i.d. issues are over with.

I ran a 5 mile trail club race today. 39:58 was only good for 5th in 45-49 males. Wow, some heavy competition today! It was a real good race for me; probably the smartest race I've ever run. I put on a kick with 3/4 mile to go and passed 2 guys, but I had to walk 30 seconds a half mile later. The last mile of the course was basically uphill. After I managed my breathing a bit I kicked again and finished strong on the uphill. I LOVE hills. I have to, living where I do! That's my second race in 3 days, and my third in three weeks. I may do an easy three tomorrow, but it's been a tough week for only 15 miles total.

I also do my morning runs fasted; up to about 1 hour. Like others, I just don't have time to digest before a 5 am run.I still have more body fat than I'd like, so I don't think I'm burning muscle tissue. But only up to an hour or so. After that comes the wall.

7.15 miles in 1:15. Almost to 90 degrees today. But it's Saturday, and dagnabbit I wanted to run the River Park trail in Chicago. I'm glad that one of the connecting parks had one of those children's waterparks with a variety of sprays to walk through. Don't think I could have made it that far without soaking my head. I hydrated as often as possible.

Don't worry, there's still water left in Lake Michigan. I didn't drink it all.

Now I'll be a couch potato while I watch Poland and the Czech Republic go at it in 75 degree rainy weather from Wrowclaw (sp) in Euro 2012.

Great post. Im training for my first marathon. Im different to you, my environment is about 30 Deg C at 10 in the morning and it just gets hotter. I live in Gibraltar (southern spain - a British colony) and theres no flat runs. I have my first big run tomorrow and im dreading it - im sure i'll be fine but ....... I went home to the UK for a week last week and training runs there were a doddle compared to here - 8 miles done in less than 70 mins!

Was supposed to do 16 today based on my training plan, but did 6 with my team and then started to do the remaining 10 and got a cramp/pain in top left calf. Tried running through it but got worse not better so turned back and ended up with 11. This week is a drop off so hopefully it will help the pain.

Ran 4 miles Tuesday and 5 on Thursday, then the 5K race for melanoma research, Block the Sun Run. Managed to beat 30 min again, barely, came in at 29:43. Warmest race so far this year, but would have been much worse if not for good cloud cover. The winner of the entire run was in my 55-59 age group, coming in at 18:08! Seriously!

I'll try to get in a long slow run tomorrow before church; too warm later in the day. Plus, it's 34 years tomorrow my wife and I exchanged vows, so we'll be celebrating big time!!

Dtothe2nd - Great work on the 5K and 8K! I know what you mean about starting closer to the front of the pack. In my second 8k I spent virtually 1 mile slaloming through the pack of runners. Nice to see all of the kids running, though!

runslowdan - Seriously! 18:08?! I can never do that (I think) and I'm only 45! Nice job on your 5K. Keep up the training!

NHLA - You're an animal!

jdcarnes - It's great to "hear" the excitement in your posts!

No run this weekend as I am working the weekend in the ED and I work 12-hour night shifts sleeping most of the day away.